The Australian String Quartet: Convergence

A dramatic rollercoaster of virtuosity and emotion converges in three wildly contrasting works by Stanhope, Britten and Schubert.

Since the release of their recorded trilogy of Paul Stanhope’s quartets, the ASQ has proudly championed this beloved Australian composer, whose first string quartet, Elegies and Dances, bristles with rhythmic vitality. Benjamin Britten’s String Quartet No.2, a deeply moving tribute to the great English composer Henry Purcell, is the musical equivalent of a towering architectural marvel, weaving four distinct voices in stark contrast and breathtaking unity.

The program culminates with Schubert’s enduringly popular Death and the Maiden quartet, a window into the tortured soul of a musical giant at the height of his powers.